Battlefields in North Karelia( SS-Nord Division)

[don_kihotis7]

Welcome to the forum Jeff

[me109g4]

Thank you sir,, i have a feeling i will be spending a lot of time here, hope things are well in Cyprus. JT

[don_kihotis7]

I'm sure. This is the best forum to be.
Greetings from sunny Cyprus

[me109g4]

Since it is so sunny there send us some sun,, the weather here sux right now,,, rain rain rain,,

[don_kihotis7]

Lucky you You wouldn't bear the heat here in the summer 44Celsius

[Vegard T]

Lucky you You wouldn't bear the heat here in the summer 44Celsius

I'd be glad to take over a couple of those Celsius degrees for you if you like. Not quite summer here yet.

[DiggityDiggity]

OP, thank you so much for your pictures. It is so jaw-dropping and emotional to see such an excellent array of artifacts.

I do need to say that I am utterly horrified that many of these artifacts are dug up and sold off like pieces of insignificant meat. I wouldn't go as far as some here and call you a grave-robber, but I do find it a bit unnerving to disturb these areas and profit off fallen soldiers. Areas this rich in artifacts, in my humble opinion, should be marked as sacred plots and properly researched by archaeological authorities. Unlike amateur digger/collectors, professional archaeologists use the scientific method to not only document such finds, but try to create a greater picture of the events that occurred. I can totally understand metal-detecting in parts of Stalingrad, or Omaha Beach, etc and collecting random shell casings, or patches, or cups etc.. but these dig sites seem extremely rich with history and should be preserved, not prostituted off to greedy collectors. It's too bad (though I'm not surprised in the least) that a country like Russia does not preserve these lands for professional investigation.

That being said, I respect you Mr. OP. In fact, I would probably be doing the same thing you are if I had these sites near me (and it was legal to dig). As a lifelong student of history and a WWII fanatic, I would be in my element digging and discovering such beautiful relics. I am not perfect by any means and understand 100% why you do this, but if I were doing this, the last thing I would do is sell them off. If I had to get rid of them, I would donate them to a museum. Morally, I couldn't live with myself to profit off the dead. But you can and I totally understand why, so please don't think I'm trying to disrepect you.

I know I am in the vast minority with this view, especially on a website dedicated to digging and selling relics, but I just wanted to say my point. Good luck in your digging and profiteering.

My heart goes out to the fallen Russian and German soldiers. May they rest in peace.

Respectfully and with no animosity whatsoever,
Drewski Von Yankee-Dweller

[mcmike]

[QUOTE=DiggityDiggity;584204]OP, thank you so much for your pictures. It is so jaw-dropping and emotional to see such an excellent array of artifacts.

It is hardly "profiteering" when you spend so much time and money doing it. These guys search through all kinds of weather and dig and dig and dig in hard, clay earth; all the while paying for for all of the tools, metal detectors, food, gas, etc. Most of the time they come up with NOTHING. The pics you see here are the result of YEARS of work; it is not just laying on top of the ground. If they weren't doing this it would all rot in the soil. IF they donated it to a museum it would sit in boxes in the basement until someone "got around to it", and most people would never see it. Unfortunately I can't afford to buy a lot of this stuff, but I understand why it is expensive. What I don't understand is those who wail again and again because these guys are doing what any archaeologist does. And, yes, archaeologists DO make money at what they do, if they are any good.So stop the whining; if you don't like it, don't dig. If I dig here, all I find is worms, and I don't fish.

[Wagriff]

DiggityDiggity....please don't derail this thread with the same ridiculous insults that others have tried doing here. These diggers are respectable men doing a respectable task -recovering, identifying and interring those lost in battle who Deserve to be given a peaceful and proper final resting place. Such exhaustive time, efforts and labour certainly are not inconsiderable for costs and selling these anonymous artifacts help cover the great costs involved in such work. If not for these men and their sweat and efforts, the fallen dead would never be found and treated with the respect and honour that they so richly earned and deserve.

[Kolby72]

Diggity. You say you mean no disrespect and have no animostiy yet in the same breath you are insulting the work of these men. As many other people have stated these men work hard for what they are finding. I would assume that you love military history that is why you are here right? Having said that I would like to ask you a question....do you have and militaria in your house that you bought from a private individual? If so is that not the same thing? Because if the person who originally owned the item is dead...then you are in fact proffiting from the dead as well. Rethink what you said, it doesnt make much sense....